Chinese women now account for 46.7 percent of the total working
population, according to statistics provided by the
APEC Women
Leaders Network (WLN) Meeting.
In
the course of the rapid development of China’s market economy,
quite a few Chinese women have moved from their traditional
employment fields to science and technology, finance, insurance and
other knowledge-based areas. The spheres where women are employed
are now more balanced.
Experts pointed out that in recent years, more and more women have
been working in managerial positions. Women experts and women
entrepreneurs have come to the forefront in large numbers, playing
a very important role in hi-tech industries as well as large and
medium state-owned enterprises, becoming an essential force in
China’s economic development.
Some 120 million rural women have taken part in the program of
“earn more income through science and technology” since 1989. Over
the twelve years, the overall competence of the rural women has
been improved considerably, their income has been increased, and
their ability to participate in economic activities has been
intensified.
In
urban areas, over 30 million female workers have taken part in
various vocational skill training, among whom over one million
laid-off workers were re-employed.
(China
Daily 08/24/2001)